Paul Schrader has written a letter to his buddies and associates responding to sexual assault allegations posed by his 26-year-old former assistant, claiming her accusations couldn’t be “farther from the reality.”
On April 3, Schrader’s former assistant, recognized as Jane Doe, alleged in a authorized submitting that the “Taxi Driver” screenwriter had sexually assaulted her on a number of events. One alleged incident occurred shortly after final 12 months’s “Oh, Canada” premiere on the Cannes Movie Competition, the place she claims Schrader uncovered his penis to her in his lodge room. She additionally claimed that Schrader’s lawyer agreed on a financial settlement after the alleged abuse, however after some “soul looking out,” he pulled out of the deal. The Jane Doe’s attorneys then filed a movement in New York state courtroom to implement the settlement and recoup litigation bills.
Schrader has since responded to the claims in a letter despatched Monday. In it, he writes that it’s “essential” for the plenty to “hear from me instantly in regards to the topic” to get his facet of the accusations, which he claims to be “false and deceptive.”
The letter reads, “Out of the blue, within the fall of final 12 months, a lawyer I had by no means heard of, representing my former assistant, despatched me a letter demanding that I pay my former assistant hundreds of thousands of {dollars} or she would go public with sensational, false and deceptive accusations about our relationship and my conduct by way of a lawsuit.”
He explains that he felt “legally entitled” to again out of a settlement, which he claims “wouldn’t be efficient except each Plaintiff and I signed it.” Schrader then goes on to element probably the most “bodily ‘intimate’ experiences” he shared together with his former assistant, claiming they shared “two kisses on the lips.” He harassed that they “by no means had intercourse in any kind.”
“The primary kiss was in December 2023 in a New York bar after we had each been ingesting. She continued working actively with me thereafter. She didn’t point out to me that she had been troubled by the kiss, a lot much less that she most popular to alter or finish our relationship,” Schrader wrote. “The second kiss passed off in Could 2024 at Cannes the place she had accompanied me for the premiere of my most up-to-date movie. As soon as once more, after we had been ingesting collectively, I kissed her. This time she indicated displeasure. I by no means tried to kiss her once more and I additionally apologized. Even after Cannes, Plaintiff expressed emphatically her want to proceed to work, dine and journey with me.”
Schrader ends his letter by saying he understands he shall be “presumed responsible” within the “present local weather” surrounding sexual assault in Hollywood, however stays assured the courtroom would “see the reality” if he goes to trial.
“I’ve nothing to cover about my conduct — and that features my determination to not yield to the strain of my former assistant’s risk to make her sensational allegations public, a risk that she and her attorneys have now executed,” Schrader wrote. “If this case ever makes it to trial, I shall be sincere with the choose and jury who I’m assured will see the reality.”
Learn the complete letter under.
You might have learn that my former assistant filed a lawsuit making some allegations about me. I’m writing since you are essential to me and I would like you to listen to from me instantly about this topic.
Out of the blue, within the fall of final 12 months, a lawyer I had by no means heard of, representing my former assistant, despatched me a letter demanding that I pay my former assistant hundreds of thousands of {dollars} or she would go public with sensational, false and deceptive accusations about our relationship and my conduct by way of a lawsuit. I understood that the mere assertion of such accusations can be damaging and hurtful. Consequently, I practically dedicated to settling the claims by paying a small fraction of the quantity that had been initially demanded to keep away from the harm and hurt that the publicity surrounding a lawsuit with these sorts of false and deceptive accusations would trigger, to say nothing of the price of litigation. Upon reflection, I modified my thoughts, which I consider I used to be legally entitled to do, and declined to signal the written settlement settlement the attorneys had ready. I refused to bow to the coercion created by what I regard as unwarranted and opportunistic claims and resolved to defend myself.
Plaintiff has now filed swimsuit, apparently hoping in opposition to hope for a fast cash seize. She hasn’t sued for sexual harassment; she has sued to implement in opposition to me the settlement settlement I declined to signal—regardless that the settlement says clearly that it will not be efficient except each Plaintiff and I signed it.
Though her lawsuit is for breach of the settlement settlement draft, it gratuitously consists of a number of the sensational, false, and deceptive accusations that have been contained in her demand letter. I’m not a thoughts reader, however I consider that the accusations have been included as a tactic—to bully me into writing a verify. If that’s their plan, it is not going to succeed.
The lawsuit labors to create a misunderstanding about my character and my interactions along with her. It additionally rewrites historical past, in a determined try to rework our relationship of greater than three years, which consisted of Plaintiff’s diligent work and really keen non-sexual companionship, into one thing unwelcome, coercive and odious to her. Nothing may very well be farther from the reality.
To be completely clear: I by no means had intercourse in any kind with Plaintiff. Nor did I ever try such a factor—interval. I by no means uncovered myself to Plaintiff—at any time. Our most bodily “intimate” experiences collectively consisted of two kisses on the lips, which occurred months aside. We additionally typically kissed each other on the cheek in gestures of greeting and farewell.
The primary kiss was in December 2023 in a New York bar after we had each been ingesting. She continued working actively with me thereafter. She didn’t point out to me that she had been troubled by the kiss, a lot much less that she most popular to alter or finish our relationship. She even co-wrote a script with me after this kiss.
The second kiss passed off in Could 2024 at Cannes the place she had accompanied me for the premiere of my most up-to-date movie. As soon as once more, after we had been ingesting collectively, I kissed her. This time she indicated displeasure. I by no means tried to kiss her once more and I additionally apologized. Even after Cannes, Plaintiff expressed emphatically her want to proceed to work, dine and journey with me. She additionally expressed her want to work with me on my subsequent movie, which was scheduled for manufacturing final fall. Lastly, she participated in an interview and voluntarily made private social media posts during which she selected to reward me.
Plaintiff was my Manufacturing Assistant from June 2021 till September 2024. Throughout our greater than three years of labor collectively, she eagerly accompanied me to quite a few work and social occasions as my visitor. These occasions included small, personal dinners with distinguished celebrities within the leisure trade. We additionally dined collectively in eating places, drank collectively in bars, visited museums, and attended concert events, performs and movie festivals. She by no means expressed any reluctance to attend these occasions or to hitch me in these one-on-one actions. If she was sad to take part in these actions, she didn’t present or point out it. Quite the opposite, she repeatedly expressed to me enthusiasm about her participation. Her lawsuit tries to color a really totally different image—one which isn’t true.
It’s greater than a bit of revealing that, all through her employment, Plaintiff selected on her personal to make flattering social media remarks about me, emphasizing her perception in my expertise and her enjoyment of my mentorship. I feel it’s a minimum of as revealing that quite a lot of her social media posts have been deleted since she engaged counsel and asserted her claims. The deletions embrace her reference to me as “my man”.
In the summertime of 2024, having accomplished my most up-to-date movie, I had no want for a full-time assistant. Plaintiff was residing in Arizona then, caring for her ailing grandfather, who subsequently handed away. Quite than eliminating her place, I diminished her compensation by roughly 50% regardless that she was not doing a lot work for me. I hoped that she would return to full-time work within the not-too-distant future when my subsequent contemplated movie mission would create a necessity for an assistant. I additionally emphasised to her that if she was prepared to maneuver on in her profession, she ought to achieve this and would have my unqualified encouragement.
Inside a number of months of this discount in pay, I heard for the primary time in regards to the grievances detailed within the demand letter, which have been partially printed within the lawsuit papers.
I perceive that within the present local weather a defendant accused of sexual harassment is commonly presumed responsible within the courtroom of public opinion with out the equity of due course of– except and till the defendant proves his or her innocence. However that presumption just isn’t at all times true. It’s not true on this case. I’ve nothing to cover about my conduct— and that features my determination to not yield to the strain of my former assistant’s risk to make her sensational allegations public, a risk that she and her attorneys have now executed. If this case ever makes it to trial, I shall be sincere with the choose and jury who I’m assured will see the reality.
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